Topic: “How were adoption and inheritance related in Paul’s thought?”
Paul was a Christian convert who wrote letters of advice and encouragement to the first century Christian churches. The letters covered a variety of topics, but a main issue he discussed was the irrelevance of the old law.
The old law, also called the old covenant or old testament, was sent from God to Moses, and it contained hundreds of specific rules for the Israelites to follow. The Old Testament is filled with stories of the Israelites disobeying and falling short of God’s commands. To bridge this gap of sin, Jesus was sent as God in the flesh to establish a new covenant for all people, not just the Israelites (Galatians 3:28). The greatest command of the new law was to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (Luke 10:27). The Jews no longer had to observe strict food regulations and Sabbath laws, but they had been freed by Jesus’ new covenant (Galatians 5:1). For the Jews, this new covenant was a radical change from what they had lived by in the past, and it was difficult for some of them to give up their old ways and to accept the new covenant. Paul had to make it very clear that the old law was not longer applicable, and it was worth nothing to continue obeying it (Galatians 5:2-6). Paul summarized the new law by conveying that man is no longer justified by works, but by faith in God and pursuing righteousness (Galations 3:13-14, Romans 6:18).
To help illustrate the mercy of God’s new covenant, Paul used the example of adoption several times in his epistles. Ephesians 1:4-5 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.” Paul used the phrase “adoption to sonship” specifically to illustrate God as a loving and caring Father who chose to adopt everyone (Galatians 3:28) so that he could give them the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).
Paul had perfect authority to write about adoption to sonship in Christ because he had experienced it firsthand! Before being converted in Acts 9, Paul had been a violent persecutor of Christians. After Jesus entered Paul’s life, he changed his ways and became a walking example of God’s forgiveness and love (1 Timothy 1:12-16). God chose Paul to exemplify His mercy, and Paul did so by preaching the good news of adoption to sonship through Christ.
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